World War II Honoree

Wayne D. Coblentz

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Greenville, Ohio

Honored By

Stephen & Lori Barnes

Relationship

Grandchildren

CORPORAL; WAS A MEMBER OF THE 393RD AIR SERVICE SQUADRON. QUALIFICATIONS AT FORT THOMAS, KENTUCKY. BASIC TRAINING AT TENT CITY IN SAINT PETERSBURG, FLORIDA. COMPLETED AIRPLANE MECHANICS TRAINING AT THE ARMY AIR FORCES TECHNICAL SCHOOL AT AMARILLO ARMY AIRFIELD IN AMARILLO, TEXAS ON AUGUST 25, 1943. SANTA MARIA, CALIFORNIA TO LEAVE WITH 392ND (MOST OF WHICH WERE KILLED IN ACTION), WHICH HAD ALREADY DEBARKED. THEN TO RAPID CITY, SOUTH DAKOTA TO TRAIN ON B-17S AND B-24S OVER THANKSGIVING AND CHRISTMAS 1943. DEBARKED FROM CAMP STONEMAN, CALIFORNIA FOR A MONTH VOYAGE TO BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA (FEBRUARY 1944), WHERE THEY WERE STATIONED FOR 7 MONTHS. THEN TO TOWNSVILLE, AUSTRALIA. AFTER A BRIEF ASSIGNMENT IN NEW GUINEA, THEY WERE SENT TO LEYTE ISLAND IN THE PHILIPPINES FOR 1 YEAR. SUSTAINED AN EYE INJURY DURING A JAPANESE AIR NUISANCE RAID ON THE 393RD’S POSITION ON LEYTE ISLAND. THE GROUP WAS INVOLVED IN THE INVASION OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS AT LEYTE BAY (7TH LANDING FORCE). AFTER THE ISLANDS WERE SECURED, THE SQUADRON RETURNED TO THE U.S. IN DECEMBER 1945. ON HIS RETURN STATESIDE, HE WAS AT WAKEMAN GENERAL HOSPITAL IN INDIANA UNTIL JUNE 1946 (DUE TO COMPLICATIONS OF HIS EYE INJURY).